If It All Ended Tomorrow
by HotchRocks
Summary: If Criminal Minds ended it's run after ten seasons, this is my take on what would happen to Hotch, Rossi, Blake, Reid, Morgan, JJ, and Garcia.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I do not own the characters of Criminal Minds. They are the property of the Mark Gordon Company, ABC Studios, and CBS Paramount Network Television. Each chapter is only my opinion and imagination of what might happen to the characters, and not based on any inside knowledge.**

**I****f It All Ended**** Tomorrow**

**A/N: This story was written after The Replicator episode. It is finished. I hope I captured the characters as we know and love them.**

**Chapter 1-The Nightmare **

It had been the worse mass murder case they ever investigated; and they had investigated many over the years. Even Frank Breitkopf and George Foyet could not compete with the number of dead, and each of them had killed dozens. But this Unsub killed over one hundred people, and all of them children between the ages of five and ten years of age. And to make matters worse, each of the children had been sexually assaulted repeatedly.

Supervisory Special Agents Aaron Hotchner, and Jennifer Jareau, first discovered the hiding place in the basement of the Unsub who seemed eager to show his crimes. But what they found instead, once they descended into the basement, wasn't just a nightmare; they descended into the depths of hell.

The Rhode Island police asked for the BAU's help with a serial killer of children, when the disemboweled bodies of three seven-year-olds had been found. They found them in the playground of the local elementary school which they attended. Police determined the children must have been abducted while enroute to school, as no alarms had been raised by the parents. The school assumed the kids were at home. And the parents assumed their kids were in school. Only when the school contacted the parents of the missing kids, and determined the kids were indeed missing, did they call the police. A search of the playground area found the kids stuffed in a trash bin used by the school custodians in charge of keeping the playground clean. Nobody had seen or heard anything, and they were stumped. So, when a fourth child who attended the same school went missing, the BAU was asked to investigate.

Aaron 'Hotch' Hotchner and his team, arrived in Rhode Island within a few hours and met by Detective Arnold Baxter, the lead detective on the case.

Within the next week, three more children disappeared. Two of the three were found dead within seventy-two hours. Like the others, they had been sexually assaulted and disemboweled, their bodies found inside an empty classroom tossed aside like trash. There was no sign of the third missing child, a little girl of about eight years old. The team promised to find her before she ended up like the others before her. Another three days passed before they found their Unsub. He was a third grade teacher named Randall Kindredge who taught mathematics at the same school. In fact, the three deceased children found in the trash bin, and the two found in the empty classroom attended his math class. The still missing girl attended the class across the hall from his. It turned out Kindredge's real name was Walter Driscoll, a registered sex offender who taught in a public elementary school in his home state of New Jersey. Further checking showed that somebody dropped the ball in New Jersey as Driscoll left the state, and moved to Connecticut first, and then Rhode Island, teaching in elementary schools. He even changed his name after leaving New Jersey to Randall Kindredge. It infuriated Hotch and his team that Driscoll had slipped through the system designed to protect the youngest members of their society and failed so abominably. But they were grateful at least that Driscoll had been permanently stopped with minimal loss of life at least.

The team, along with the police, arrested Driscoll at his home as he got ready to leave for work. It took everything within Hotch not to pummel the man into the ground. Or to put a bullet directly into his brain. How can anybody hurt a child? A search of his home by Morgan, JJ, and Reid, found the missing little girl huddled in a closet, terrified and crying for her mommy and daddy. With a tender motherly smile, JJ coerced the child into letting her pick her up and while rubbing her back, carried her outside the house. The little girl kept her arms tightly around JJ's neck with her face buried in the crook of her shoulder. Rossi and the lead detective proceeded to search the upstairs, while Reid, Morgan, and Hotch searched the main floor and proceeded to the basement. At once Hotch noticed the basement floor didn't appear as old as the walls. It looked newer than the rest of the basement. He instructed the lead detective to have ground-penetrating radar brought in to scan the floor of the basement.

It took several hours to get the equipment to the house, much less into the basement. And what they found would break even the most seasoned law enforcement official.

As the floor was dug up, bodies in different stages of decomposition were found. It later showed that Driscoll had kidnapped children from nearly every county in Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut. That was why nobody connected the abductions until now, or connected them to Driscoll. Children had been taken from different states. So no connection had been made until now, thanks to the BAU.

By the end of the day, the number of bodies found neared one hundred. Hotch and his team became sick as an endless line of body bags and covered stretchers, were brought out of the house. They watched them loaded into waiting vehicles for transport to the coroner's office. The team wondered why they hadn't been called in sooner. Hotch cursed the person or persons who didn't do their jobs. As one body was loaded onto a stretcher, Hotch noticed one little sandy-haired boy's body, about six, bore a striking resemblance to his son Jack. And for a moment, cold fear permeated his body before he remembered Jack was visiting his grandparents in Pennsylvania. Only then did he begin to calm down from his earlier thoughts. He made a mental note to phone Jack tonight when he returned to his hotel. He sympathized with the parents whose children would never be coming home again, as moisture built in his eyes.

So wrapped up in his own thoughts, he barely noticed Rossi's hand on his shoulder. He turned and glanced at the older man grimly. His friend understood what was on Hotch's mind without the younger man having to utter a single word. He also felt the same way about people who target children as the others. He hated them with a passion.

"I know what's on your mind, Aaron," Rossi exclaimed with a gentle squeeze of his friend's shoulder.

"That could so easily have been Jack," Hotch replied in a husky voice, his eyes locked now on the stretcher as it passed him.

"But it wasn't," Rossi assured him.

"And I'm grateful for that, Dave," Hotch replied as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "But I'm also thinking of all the families who won't see their sons and daughters again. Tell me something," Hotch's lower lip began to quiver. "Is it right to be happy my child is alive, when so many families' kids are not?"

Rossi let out a deep breath and took a few moments to collect his thoughts. "It's never wrong to be happy for and about your own child, Aaron."

Hotch let out a deep breath. He was happy Jack was safe and alive. But he would never, ever, forget the horror in that basement, and understood none of the others would either.

JJ chewed her lower lip at the endless body bags, and recalled that her son, Henry, wasn't much older than a lot of these children. She didn't know what she would have done if it had been Henry. How would she handle knowing she would never see her three-year-old son again? She was certain Hotch was feeling the same being a single father. Just then, one of the stretchers was brought past her. She gasped at seeing a tiny dirty hand and blond hair sticking out from beneath the sheet. Sensing she was about to lose it, JJ raised her eyes to the heavens and her lower lip quivered as tears sprang from her eyes. She turned to find Spencer Reid watching her with that brotherly look he always saved just for her.

"I understand you're thinking about Henry," he said tenderly. He secretly thought about his godson. But right now JJ needed him. "But there's now one less monster to worry about now."

JJ wiped her fingers across her cheeks. "I know. I was just thinking of all these families who will never see their child again."

Reid pursed his lips. "I know it feels that way. But these families will at least have closure."

JJ took in and let out a deep breath. She faced Reid. "Closure? It's hard to think of having closure compared to not being able to hold your child in your arms again."

Reid could only look at the blond unable to respond. To him, there was no answer.

Morgan and Blake were transfixed at the enormity of the nightmare unfolding in front of them. Morgan never saw anything like this. _This was the stuff nightmares were made of, _he thought_. _And Blake, being the newbie, had never seen anything like this either. They saved only one child out of over one hundred. Over one hundred butchered children buried in the basement of a house with cement poured over them. A concrete grave. So many children who would never see their parents again. Would never be with their friends or loved ones again. Would never just be children again.

The trio looked at Hotch and JJ, understanding the impact of so many small bodies, and the effect on the only two parents on the team. But that didn't make the effect on them any less devastating. It didn't matter that they had saved one child even though they were grateful for small blessings. No, the horror in the basement shook them to the core. Over one hundred children of various ages, all sexually molested and butchered by a maniac with no conscience in the worse way possible. At least they didn't have the task of informing the parents. The agents didn't envy the police of Rhode Island, New Jersey, or Connecticut.

This case broke each of them in ways that could never be repaired. They would carry what they found in the basement forever in their minds with no way of ever forgetting or being able to forget with time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2-Derek Morgan**

He was the first to leave. It had been nearly a month since the nightmare in the basement, and the images of those murdered children refused to leave his mind no matter how hard he tried. They had been put on mandatory two week downtime afterward, but the images of dead children refused to leave him. But the deciding factor had been an incident which occurred during their first case back since then. They were working a case involving a UnSub who had murdered five women and kidnapped a sixth. He and Hotch had entered the front of the Unsub's house together. But while inside, Morgan heard a noise, and decided to check it out. He and Hotch split up, with Hotch advising him to be careful. Morgan advised him to be the same.

As he continued to check the area of the house alone, Hotch was shot in the right knee. The Unsub had lay in wait for one of the agents. The agent's weapon slid across the floor when he went down after being wounded. As Hotch lay on the floor, he started reaching for his ankle holster with one hand while his other clutched his right knee, blood oozing between his fingers. He froze when there was a click, and found himself looking up into the business end of a weapon aimed at his head. The man stood over him smiling, as his finger tightened on the trigger. Hotch realized his luck had run out, and regretted not spending more time with his son. But before the Unsub could pull the trigger, a shot rang out and he fell to the floor near Hotch, a bullet hole in his head. Hotch looked over and saw Morgan standing in the room with his weapon still aimed at the Unsub. After kneeling beside the man and finding no pulse, he moved beside Hotch, and called for an ambulance over his microphone. They had found the kidnapped woman alive in the UnSub's attic.

From this moment on, Morgan continually chastised himself for letting Hotch go alone instead of sticking with him. He ignored the fact that the sound he had heard could have been the Unsub and couldn't be overlooked. But as he replayed the scenario in his head, Morgan believed he had become too distracted to be in the field now. Also, he refused to risk his teammates again. What happened to Hotch was enough proof.

So when the New York office called him again, there was no hesitation on his part. Morgan accepted their offer. Now he only had to inform his Unit Chief of his decision. Only Hotch was still on medical leave because of his knee. Rossi had been named the Acting Unit Chief in his place. Morgan wanted to wait until Hotch returned before he sprang the news of his leaving to anyone else. But the New York office insisted he begin in one week, and Hotch was not due back for two weeks. Word was his knee had healed, but he was in physical therapy and banned from actively being in the field. Also, their Section Chief, Erin Strauss, banned Hotch from the office until he was cleared by the doctors. So with a sigh, Morgan got up from his desk, climbed the stairs, and walked along the catwalk until he came to Rossi's office. He knocked on the door before opening it, not waiting for permission.

Rossi was seated behind his desk reviewing one of many files that Hotch would normally be reviewing. He looked up hearing the door open.

"Need something, Derek?" he asked. He had an idea of what Morgan wanted to discuss. The rumors were rampant even if nothing was official yet.

Morgan waited in the doorway. "Rossi, can I uh…can I talk with you for a minute?"

"Sure. C'mon in and have a seat." Rossi put the pen down on his desk, and folded his hands on top of the open folder in front of him. The older man watched as Morgan entered his office, closed the door, and sat in the chair facing his desk. The agent stared at his fingers as he tried to organize his thoughts. "I assume you're here to discuss the offer from the New York office," Rossi added.

Morgan looked up in surprise. "How did you…" He never understood how Rossi always seemed to find things out before anybody else. Not even Hotch had figured it out. And he had known the man for years.

Rossi smirked. "I have my sources." He looked directly into his friend's eyes. "You accepted their offer, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did," Morgan replied sheepishly.

"I thought you might," Rossi admitted. "You've been kinda…how shall we say…distracted…since that case in Rhode Island. And then this last case with Hotch getting shot…"

"That never should have happened, Rossi," Morgan argued. "Hotch should never have been alone. I made the mistake of leaving him when I should of stayed with him."

"That's not your fault. There was a noise and you thought it might be the Unsub."

Morgan shook his head. "Doesn't matter. Reid and JJ had the back covered. You and Blake were enroute. There was no need for us to split up."

The older man shrugged. "Everything worked out. We saved the kidnap victim. Hotch is gonna be fine. The Unsub is dead. You killed him before he could kill Hotch. We can't ask for anything more than that." A slow smile appeared on his face. "Everything turned out fairly well in my book."

"Other than Hotch getting shot."

Rossi let out a deep breath. "Morgan, it comes with the job. Things like this happen from time to time. It's nobody's fault but the Unsub's. Point is, you stopped him before anything else happened. And because you did, a good man is still alive. And so is a kidnap victim." He paused for a few seconds. "Also, I'm very happy for you, Derek. New York's getting a good man. Their gain is our loss."

"Thanks. I really wanted to wait until Hotch got back, but that won't be for another two weeks. New York wants me to start Monday."

"I see. Well, I'll pass the word to Hotch when I speak with him tonight. He and the rest of us are gonna hate to lose you. But he'll be very happy for you as will the rest of the team. But can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Go ahead."

"For somebody who's gonna be running the prestigious New York office, you don't seem very happy. Is there something you're not telling me? Like the real reason you decided to accept their offer now after turning it down earlier?"

Morgan folded his muscular arms across his chest. He half expected the question, and thought he had an answer. "I guess I like the idea of being the one calling the shots. But…and this may sound silly. As to why I'm accepting it now, I can't get the Rhode Island case out of my mind, and I…I just need a change."

"I understand that. That was a rough case for all of us."

"I know. But I can't stop feeling there might have been something more I could have done. Things I didn't do, or let happen since that case because I've been, as you put it…distracted."

"In other words, you don't trust yourself in the field anymore after Hotch got shot."

Morgan let out a deep breath. "It's not just that, Rossi. It's that…I can't explain it. I just know I need a change."

"I can accept that. But there's something else, isn't there?"

"I feel by accepting this offer I'm somehow betraying and deserting the team and Hotch."

"You understand that's ridiculous, right? Hotch would never stand in someone's way. And you're not betraying or deserting him or us. Derek, I've known Aaron for over twenty years, and if there's one thing I know, he would never want anyone to deny themselves advancement because of him. The only thing he'd ask is that you be sure that leaving the BAU is what you want. Because if your answer is yes, then go for it. Aaron will understand."

"Just do me a favor, Rossi?"

"Anything. Name it."

"When you speak with Hotch, tell him it's been an honor and a privilege to work with him. And if I can be half the Unit Chief he is, than I'll consider myself doing a good job."

"I will. I promise."

With a nod of his head, so ended Derek Morgan's career with Aaron Hotchner's team. His last week ended with no party, no fanfare, no celebration. No trying to talk him out of his decision. It just ended as he wanted it to, even from his Baby Girl. On his last day, Hotch phoned Morgan from his home to congratulate him, and say goodbye to one of his own. Morgan apologized for leaving so soon. But Hotch wished him well and to keep in touch. Morgan promised he would.

And so ended his last day. No fanfare, but plenty of shed tears, pats on the back, hugs, and congratulations all around from everybody. And as he walked out of the BAU for the final time, Derek Morgan understood that one chapter of his life had ended, and another was beginning. But Rhode Island would never be forgotten.

But unknown to him, he was only the first.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry that this chapter is shorter than the others.**

**Chapter 3-Jennifer Jareau**

Jennifer Jareau was the next one to leave. Two weeks had passed after Morgan left for New York, and Hotch returned to work, that JJ was given wonderful news. News that she couldn't wait to share with the others. She was pregnant with twins. Both she and Will had suspected for about a month. For she exhibited all the same symptoms when she was pregnant with Henry. At last something wonderful after Rhode Island and after Hotch had been shot.

Blake, Rossi, Reid, and Garcia hugged the blond and offered their congratulations on the blessed event. Garcia called Morgan in New York right after returning to her office to give him the exciting news. But it was when JJ had to tell Hotch her news that bothered her the most. Afterall, the man was busy reviewing applicants to replace Morgan. She recalled walking up the stairs to the catwalk, and walking to Hotch's office. The Unit Chief sensed his media liaison was needing to tell him something important. And although in the middle of reviewing applications of prospective replacements, he gave JJ his undivided attention.

"Have a seat, JJ," he told the blond with a worried expression on his face.

JJ smiled as she closed his door and sat down facing his desk. "It's not bad news, Hotch, so don't look so worried." She saw his face relax and she licked her lips as she was about to deliver the news that would change his life…again.

"Hotch, I'm pregnant. Twins." Her body tensed as she waited for his reaction. She didn't have long as a slow smile appeared on his face as he got to his feet without the cane. She stood up as well, walked over to him, and allowed him to give her a hug which she returned.

"JJ, that's wonderful news. I'm very happy for you and Will." He pulled back from her and looked into her blue eyes. He saw a sadness in them and suddenly understood. He swallowed the lump building in his throat. "You're leaving us, aren't you?"

"Hotch…" JJ pulled away from him and slowly sat back down again. She waited until he sat back down behind his desk. "…I missed out on a lot of Henry's first three years because of this job which I love. And soon there will soon be two new additions. And in all honesty, I can't ask Will to quit his job and be a stay-at-home dad. Nor can I leave two new infants to be raised mostly by a nanny like Henry was during those early years. I mean…they will need a full-time mother. I have no choice but to leave the BAU and the bureau. Also, ever since Rhode Island, I've been considering leaving more and more. It made me realize that things with your child can change in a second. I just hate to leave you in such a lurch so soon after Morgan left. I'm sorry." She ran a hand over her still flat stomach.

Hotch sighed as he tightened his reign on his emotions threatening to erupt. He hated to lose the one woman he always considered indispensable. But he understood what she was saying. "Don't ever feel you need to apologize," he said. "I understand." He chuckled. "I'm going to hate to lose you." He paused to collect himself. "Have you decided when you're going to leave?"

"As soon as I can train a replacement. I don't want to leave you in a lurch. Or have Garcia try and tackle two jobs again." She had heard about the tech analyst trying to do her job as well as her own. She raised an eyebrow at her boss's expression. "What?"

Hotch chuckled. "I miss you and you haven't even left yet."

JJ smiled as her eyes glistened with tears. Out of all the people on the team she would miss, she would miss Aaron Hotchner the most. "Thank you for that. I think I'm going to miss you more than anyone else. Please take care of yourself and I hope your knee heals completely soon. The team needs you."

And that was how her last month went for JJ. During that time, a replacement had been chosen for Morgan, an agent from Chicago named Morris Gateway. And like Morgan, had once been a member of the police force there. They had also selected Beverly Steinman, a media liaison with the White Collar Crime Unit as JJ's permanent replacement. For the remaining time she had, the blond trained her replacement as the others prepared to say goodbye to another of their own. On her last day, the blond received hugs and kisses from everyone. Garcia threw the biggest baby shower ever. And afterward, JJ received more hugs and kisses from everybody, including Hotch, as Will LaMontagne, the proud papa-to-be, looked on blissfully. He accompanied JJ to the BAU to help her carry the baby shower gifts.

Months later, JJ delivered two beautiful, healthy babies; a boy and a girl. She named her son Spencer Aaron, and the girl Penelope Alexandra. And while she missed her extended family at the BAU, she did not regret her decision to leave. Especially when she looked into the sleeping faces of her twins. It had been the right choice.

But one month after JJ left, the BAU was yet rocked again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4-Alex Blake**

Alex Blake massaged her forehead as she continued staring at the open case folder in front of her. It was a file of their latest case and she found she couldn't concentrate. It had been their fourth case with the replacements for JJ and Morgan. She recalled how strange it was in the beginning because they were still adjusting to life without JJ and Morgan. The two newbies had their quirks, and for the most part were nice people. Agent Steinman though, she found a bit reserved when it came to her teammates. She put her pen down on the desk, and buried her fingers in her hair, elbows on the desk. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Hotch leave his office, limping as he walked down the steps from the catwalk into the bullpen. He leaned heavily on the cane having gotten rid of the crutches. A small smile crossed her face as she rested her arms on her desk and stared at the file in front of her. She was glad for the moment that Reid, Gateway, and Steinman were in the break area, and that Rossi was absorbed with paperwork in his office. She was alone at her desk.

She missed JJ and Morgan a lot. But since JJ left, she found herself thinking of her husband, James, more and more of late. As she looked back, she suspected she had been feeling this way since Rhode Island, and all those butchered children in the basement. When she closed her eyes at night, the images replayed themselves over and over until she either woke up in a cold sweat, or her screams awakened her. Last night was the worst. It had been so bad James woke her while in the throes of her nightmare. Afterward, she threw herself into her husband's arms sobbing. James Blake didn't need to ask what was troubling his sobbing wife as he held her in his arms. She had told him about Rhode Island. Alex now understood why Morgan and JJ left, and why she knew her decision was the right one for her.

Hotch being shot so soon after Rhode Island had ripped a hole in Morgan's heart which nothing could fill. The man believed a change of scenery would be best for him. JJ left as she was about to bring two new lives into the world, and wanted them to have a full-time mother. Not somebody they saw now-and-then. Or not at all were she to be killed on the job.

With a sigh, Blake picked up her pen and tried to resume working on the open case file, but found she couldn't make herself write a single word. She then lay her pen down again, rested both arms on her desk, and lay her forehead on her arms.

"Blake? You all right?" asked a familiar voice from behind her. Blake's head shot up and she looked around to see Aaron Hotchner standing just to the side leaning on his cane, studying her with an intense stare. She tried to smile.

"I'm fine," she said knowing he didn't believe her. She sighed looking away. "No I'm not." She looked up again. "Hotch, you shouldn't be on your leg so much. Can we talk privately?"

"If you want." Hotch limped away with Blake following him. She shook her head as her boss's limp become a bit more pronounced as they neared the steps leading to the catwalk. Blake suspected Hotch's injured knee was paining him more than he let on, as everyone noticed he had been pushing himself of late. She understood how badly he wanted to get back to chasing Unsubs in the field, and not sitting in police stations working on geographical profiles with Reid. But it was better than him being unable to even go with the team she supposed. They slowly mounted the steps and walked to his office. As they did, she looked over, and saw the others returning from the break area drinking coffee. She also caught Reid studying her from where he stood before she turned her attention to follow Hotch into his office and closing the door.

"We're gonna be losing another team member," Reid announced to the others quietly. He knew Blake had been struggling internally since Rhode Island and finally convinced her to talk to him.

Steinman and Gateway stared at the young genius. They were still getting accustom to Reid and his ability to spout facts, figures, and statistics without missing a beat.

"What makes you say that?" asked Gateway as he sipped his coffee.

Reid shrugged. He would not violate Blake's confidence. "I have no idea. It's just a feeling I have, that's all."

* * *

Hotch slowly sat down behind his desk leaning his cane against the bookcase behind him, and grateful to stretch his leg out. He tried to hide the grimace on his face and hoped he succeeded. He clasped his hands together on top of his desk and waited. He had an idea what Blake wanted to talk about with him.

Blake sat down facing her boss's desk with hands in lap. She stared at her hands for a few seconds before facing Hotch.

"My husband is leaving in two weeks for a job overseas for two years. He's asked me to go with him and I told him that I would think about it. I've done nothing but think about it since the case in which you were shot. He needs an answer from me in seventy-two hours as arrangements have to be made on his end. And mine."

"I trust you reached a decision."

"I have. I told him I'd go with him." She noticed Hotch's expression. "I'm sorry, Hotch," she said. "I realize things have been, how should I put it…weird since Rhode Island. But I keep seeing the bodies of those innocent children in that basement, and have been losing my focus at times. I can't do this anymore, Hotch. I just can't. But I hate leaving you a man down. I'm sorry."

Hotch let a slow smile appear on his face. "Don't ever apologize for saying what's on your mind," he informed her. "As for the paperwork, don't worry about it. But for the record, I've enjoyed having you on the team. You did fine work. You'll be missed."

Blake smiled at the compliment. "Thank you. And for what it's worth, Hotch. I'm glad to have had an opportunity to work with this team and under your leadership. Everybody accepted me as soon as I came on-board, and never treated me like an outsider. And I thank you for that."

Hotch blushed a bit. He wasn't used to praise and it made him a bit uncomfortable even though the praise came from one of his own teammates. He tried to keep his face impassive. "That's very nice of you to say, Alex. But you need not thank me. You're good at your job, and we're going to miss you. Please keep in touch and let us know how things are going."

"I will, sir." Blake started to get up from her chair. "And thank you again."

Two weeks later, Alex Blake walked out of the BAU for the last time. She had completed the paperwork, and said her goodbyes to everyone. Like Morgan, she wanted no farewell party and no fanfare, and argued with Garcia about it. All she wanted was a quiet exit. When the day ended, she met up with her husband James who came to pick her up as a surprise. The two of them left to pack and make arrangements for their trip to Pakistan, or as Hotch had referred to it, 'Sandistan.' They both promised to be careful and keep in touch. With nothing left to add, Alex and her husband drove out of the FBI underground parking area. It was the only way Alex Blake hoped would put that horrifying image in the basement out of her mind…hopefully forever. Only time would tell.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5-Spencer Reid**

Spencer Reid had not planned on leaving the BAU anytime soon. Not until he reached retirement age anyway. But decisions are not always left up to the ones making them. Sometimes they are made by outside forces and completely out of one's hands. Such was the decision to be made by Spencer Reid.

The first sign something was wrong, was while on a case in Tuscan, Arizona. It happened after Blake had left, and replaced by Agent Mandy Carter, a blond blue-eyed agent who spent eleven years in counter-terrorism and wanted a change. After a week, the team had caught the Unsub, a serial rapist named Cecil Decker, who had a thing for blond-haired, blue-eyed business women. It was Agent Carter's first case since joining Hotchner's team. Right away, the team noticed she met the victimology of the earlier victims found raped and murdered.

All through the investigation, though, Reid had been acting strange, even for him. In fact, things had been different since Morgan left, and had only gotten more weird as time went by for everybody. He had problems dealing with Hotch being shot. And to top it off, his abandonment issues emerged again once Morgan left. And only intensified when JJ and Blake had left. He began having difficulty concentrating on cases as well as following Rossi's instructions. But things had reached a breaking point when he, Rossi, and Carter arrived at the crime scene of the latest victim on their recent case. Reid saw a man approaching Carter from behind with a sadistic smile on his face, and a large knife held high in his hand. To everybody's astonishment, Reid drew his weapon and aimed it, supposedly at the man, a panicked look on his face. But to Carter, she saw Reid aiming his weapon at her head.

"Reid, what are you doing?!" she cried staring at the younger man with wide eyes. Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted several uniformed officers staring with mouths open; two reaching for their sidearms. But Rossi waved for them to wait sensing something was wrong with the genius. He hoped he'd be able to diffuse the situation before things got out of control. He took a step toward Reid.

"Reid, what's wrong?" he asked as he took another step forward. "Talk to me."

Ignoring Rossi, Reid tilted his head as he continued staring at the unidentified man with the knife poised ready to strike. The man took another step closer to Carter and grinned demonically. His own fingers tightened on the trigger of his Glock. His gun hand began to tremble. "Leave her alone!" he shouted at the man.

Carter glanced behind her before turning back to Reid. "There's nobody there. Who are you talking to, Reid?"

Reid ignored her plea and continued staring at the man behind her, the internal voice in his head shouting.

'_Shoot him! Kill him! Shoot him before he kills her!' _Reid's lower lip quivered. _'Shoot him! Kill him!'_

"Reid, put down the gun." Rossi kept his voice even, his eyes never straying from the young man. He took another step closer. He wished Hotch was here right now. "C'mon, Reid. You don't want to hurt Mandy. Just put down the gun."

"I…I can't. He'll kill her if I do," Reid stammered, not looking at the older man. His hand began to shake, his finger still on the trigger.

"Who, Reid?" Rossi asked moving even closer. He was now about two arm lengths away from Reid. "Who will kill Carter?"

"He will. The Unsub. He…he'll kill her if I don't stop him. Can't you see him? He's right behind her with a knife."

Rossi paused. He began to suspect Reid was hallucinating. He had noticed the change in the kid's demeanor since Morgan's departure. He had noticed how withdrawn Reid had become when JJ and Blake left. A horrible thought occurred to Rossi. He didn't want to insult Reid. He understood the young man's concern about his inheriting his mother's schizophrenia due to his genetic predisposition. He cautiously took another step after glancing in Carter's direction and witnessing the frightened look on her face.

"Reid, there's nobody behind Carter." Rossi was now only an arm's length away. "Give me your gun." He began to worry that the youngest agent had either suffered a mental break with reality, or the onset of schizophrenia. Not being a doctor, he had no idea which. But all that mattered right now was saving Agent Carter's life, and keeping Reid safe as the uniforms didn't know him like he did. At any moment one of them might open fire on their youngest.

Reid suddenly turned his head toward Rossi, but the older man realized right away, he didn't recognize him. His expression was blank. He considered Rossi a total stranger right now, and that wasn't good from the older man's perspective. As he was about to take another step forward, he suddenly froze when Reid pointed his weapon at him.

"Don't come any closer!" Reid ordered the man who, to him, was unfamiliar. Yet, there was something familiar about him.

'_Shoot him!_ the voice ordered. _Shoot him now! He wants to stop you from saving her! Kill him!'_

Rossi took a gamble, stepped closer, and stopped, the business end of Reid's Glock pressed against his chest. "Reid…"

"You don't want me to save her!" Reid shouted, his hand shaking uncontrollably now. Who was this strange man? And why did he want to keep him from saving Carter? "You want her to die!"

"Reid…" Rossi began but was interrupted by the sound of gunfire. Reid's eyes looked into his with sorrow as his knees buckled and he fell to the ground at Rossi's feet. "NO!" Rossi shouted as he knelt beside Reid, moved the gun out of his reach, and checked for a pulse. He sighed in panicked relief as he found a weak, but steady beat. A dark stain was beginning to spread beneath the area of his shoulder. Rossi stared at Carter who was racing toward them. "Call an ambulance!" he ordered her. He saw her pull out her cell phone before turning back to Reid. He cushioned the young man's upper body in his arms and held him. He forced a smile as the young man's eyes searched his.

"Dave…did I get him?" Reid whimpered with a weak smile and even weaker voice. "Is Carter all right?"

"You did good, kid," Rossi said with a quivering lower lip. "You saved her life. She's fine. You just rest now."

"The ambulance is on the way," Carter announced. The older man nodded in appreciation. His eyes then fell on a uniformed officer holding a sidearm looking stricken, and glared in his direction. It was obvious the officer had never shot anybody. But all Rossi could think about right now was Reid. Rossi would chew the uniform out later. Right now, all that mattered was Reid. "Sir, what happened? Why did Reid point his weapon at me?"

"I'm not sure," Rossi lied to the young woman. "I don't want to speculate." He looked around him. "Where the hell is the ambulance!" Rossi cried out as Reid's eyes fluttered closed.

* * *

Three weeks later, Spencer Reid sat in a chair staring at the far wall with unseeing eyes, oblivious to everyone and everything around him. His shoulder wound had healed with no lingering after effects. But with his meltdown in the field, things were different. To the untrained eye, Reid appeared to be in a state of shock. But to two trained profilers like Aaron Hotchner and Dave Rossi, it was the worse possible outcome.

The doctors had confirmed Rossi's earlier suspicions. Reid had suffered the onset of schizophrenia. It had been a concern when Reid was younger, and when it didn't happen, he thought maybe he would be spared from the illness which plagued his mother, Diana. But once he turned thirty years-of-age, it burst forth with vengeance, and there was nothing his teammates could do for him.

Hotch, sitting in front of Reid, took one of his hands in both of his big ones, and stared with compassion into those unseeing hazel eyes. It pained him to see the youngest member of his team like this. He wished he could do something to fix it, but he couldn't, and that pained him more.

"Reid, you'll be all right. The people here are the best." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "We'll visit you as often as we can. We've contacted Morgan and JJ. They're coming for a visit. Garcia will come see you as well. We also left a message for Blake who sends her love. Jack sends his love, as does Henry. We will never give up on you. Not ever. I need you to know that. Whatever you need we'll make sure you get it. All you need to do is get better, and you will." Hotch placed Reid's hand in Rossi's. The older man took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Reid, I'll say a prayer for you every day. You're a fine agent. And an even better young man. You come back to us. Come back to us soon." He squeezed the smaller hand in his. His lower lip trembled. "And like Hotch said, whatever you need you'll have. Even if I have to pay for it myself. I don't care. I won't say goodbye, Reid. I'll just say see you later." He froze as he and Hotch noticed a single tear roll down Reid's cheek from the corner of one eye. Exactly whether it meant a part of Reid could still hear them, or just a response to familiar voices they didn't know. Sadly, Hotch and Rossi left the facility and made their way to Rossi's SUV. The older man looked at his boss. "Hotch, you think the real Reid will ever come back to us?"

Hotch sighed. "I don't know, Rossi. I honestly don't." He ignored the pain in his injured knee.

As they drove away, they both realized not all decisions are left up to the ones trying to make them. Sometimes they are simply out of one's control, and those decisions are wrested from their grasp and made for them. And for Spencer Reid, the decision to leave the BAU had been taken rudely out of his hands, possibly for all time. But things didn't end there. More decisions were coming.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6-David Rossi**

The word stared back at David Rossi like an Unsub on the opposite side of a table in an interrogation room. The word stared back like the business end of a weapon pointed at his chest. He continued to stare at his copy of the medical report sent to him by the lab he had been sent to by the doctor. His eyes scanned the words on the report, but they always came back to that one word with the biggest impact: _Alzheimer's._

Rossi nearly choked on the word. He had Alzheimer's and it was progressing at a faster than usual rate. At first he believed it was a matter of having too many things on his mind. Writer's block about his latest book. His editor getting on his case about the delay. Then he began forgetting things, having trouble carrying on a conversation. And problems carrying out his normal duties, work and personal. He also began getting lost despite having directions on getting to a destination. The biggest fear was when he couldn't remember where Hotch's office was located. After several weeks of putting it off, he decided to see his doctor. When the doctor delivered his diagnosis, he recommended Rossi see a specialist and have a neurological exam, and a mental status test to confirm the diagnosis. When Rossi received the test results, he wished Reid was still here instead of his replacement, Doctor Damian Waring. He would be more comfortable discussing this with Reid and getting his input, as opposed to a newbie. But as Reid was no longer here, he had a decision to make on his own. And he needed to make it soon.

He understood he needed to talk to Hotch first. He really didn't want to lay this on the man so soon after four other teammates had left. But the man needed to be told. This left him no other choice. Rossi would have to tell Hotch today he was leaving so the man could choose a replacement before he left. Besides, he suspected Hotch had an idea he was keeping something from him anyway. So, there was no time like the present. Rossi refolded the paper and tucked it back inside his jacket pocket. Then with a weary sigh, he got to his feet and left his office.

As he walked on the catwalk toward Hotch's office, his unknown future scared him, and nothing scared David Rossi. Until now that is. And while he didn't want to lay this on Hotch right now, he realized he had to do this. He had to give the man time to adjust. To adjust to losing another teammate. And his best friend at the same time. He stood outside Hotch's office, thinking about what his own future would be like from this moment on until the end. His illness was a progressive disease. His symptoms would get worse. He didn't need Reid to tell him Alzheimer's was the sixth leading cause of death.

But Rossi understood he could not wait as his symptoms were getting worse. So, he raised his hand and knocked on the door of Hotch's office. He waited until he heard Hotch's order of 'come in' before he gripped the doorknob and turned it. As he opened the door, Rossi made sure he had an impassive look on his face, and walked inside the office. He stood in the doorway and leaned against the doorframe. Hotch was seated behind his desk surrounded by case files on his desk; his cane rested against the side of his desk. An open case file sat in front of him.

"You need something, Dave?" Hotch asked, looking up from the file in front of him. He had suspected Dave would come to him eventually with whatever was going on with him seemingly to the point of distraction.

"Can I speak with you for a couple of minutes?" Rossi asked from the doorway.

"Sure." Hotch sat the pen down on his desk and leaned back in his chair, prepared to give his friend of over twenty years his undivided attention. "Have a seat."

Rossi entered the office and closed the door. He took a seat in the chair facing Hotch's desk and leaned forward, arms on thighs and hands between his knees. He struggled to find the words he needed. And not because this would be difficult. His illness also played a part.

The hairs on the back of Hotch's neck started to bristle as he waited for his friend to confide in him. Apparently whatever he wanted to discuss was difficult, and he would not push him. After a few minutes of silence between them, Hotch's eyebrows arched. "Dave?" was all he said looking at his friend.

Rossi looked up as he leaned back in his chair. He let out a deep breath. "Aaron, after all the recent changes within the team, I hate to spring this on you. But uh, the situation leaves me no choice."

Hotch's eyebrows knitted together and he leaned forward, both hands clasped on top of his desk. "What situation? Dave, what are you trying to say?"

"Aaron, I have to leave the BAU and the team. I'm sorry." He watched his friend's face waiting for his reaction. He didn't have long to wait. Hotch's eyebrows again arched but this time in surprise. Of all the things Hotch expected, this was not it.

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Dave. I mean, I realize you've been distracted a bit of late. And I agree we're still adjusting to new team members, but we'll be okay. And if this has to do with the case in Rhode Island, or the new book, I can give you time off so you…"

"It's not Rhode Island, Aaron, or the new book," Rossi replied as he reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out the folded paper he had read earlier. He handed it to his friend, and watched the man unfold it. "I saw my doctor a few weeks ago when I began having trouble with my memory. I'd get lost after getting directions to places. I have trouble finding the right words to use in a conversation. Once I even forgot where your office was. He ran several tests." He waited as Hotch read the report before he continued. "After reaching a diagnosis, he recommended I see a specialist and have further tests done. Tests such as neurological and mental status tests. The results of those tests confirm his earlier diagnosis leaving no doubt whatsoever."

"Alzheimer's?" Hotch's horrified eyes shifted from the report in his hands to his friend's brown eyes. "Dave, this has to be a mistake."

Rossi chuckled. "There's no mistake, Aaron. I'm sixty-six. I'm at the age for it. The symptoms I described earlier are just the beginning. And it's gonna get worse. Aaron, I don't want to stay here as a charity case. Or be remembered as a feeble, old man unable to carry on a conversation. I want to leave with my dignity still intact."

Hotch felt his eyes beginning to burn as tears threatened to fall. There was no cure for Alzheimer's. And thinking of his best friend's deterioration over the years was too much for him. Just thinking of this vibrant man becoming a shell of his former self broke his heart.

"Dave, I don't know much about Alzheimer's. But I understand medicines are available that can help. Surely there must be medication that can slow the progression of the disease."

Rossi let out a deep breath. "My doctor say my illness is progressing too rapidly. Medication wouldn't help."

Hotch swallowed the building lump in his throat. He folded the paper again, and handed it back to Rossi. "When would you want to leave?" he asked.

"At the end of the month," he repeated tucking the paper back in his jacket pocket. "This will give you time to replace me." He paused. "If anybody asks, just tell 'em I decided to retire for good this time. I would prefer the real reason be kept between the two of us. I also don't want any fanfare."

"Of course," Hotch replied shakily as he forced a smile to his lips. "I'm going to miss having you here, you know. In addition to your dedicated years of service, you've been a godsend to this team and to me. I don't know how I'm going to survive without you around here." He slowly got to his feet.

Rossi smiled and got to his. "I'll still be only a phone call away, Aaron. You'll always be able to reach me day or night." He approached Hotch, and the two men hugged each other tightly with pats on the back. When they pulled back, they looked at each other with true affection in their eyes. No further words needed to be spoken.

After David Rossi left the BAU and the bureau at the end of the month, he and Aaron Hotchner kept in touch. They talked by phone once a week; more often if they didn't have a case. Rossi knew it bothered Hotch having to stay on the sidelines because of his knee. But he never said anything about it to the younger man. Also, he believed Hotch would soon be as good as new again. Hotch visited his former mentor twice a week to check up on him. But as time went on, Hotch began spotting changes in his friend, and not for the better taking place. Then one day when he came for a visit two months later, he noticed Rossi stare at him with a lack of recognition in his eyes. He realized that to his friend, he had become a complete stranger. In fact, Rossi didn't even remember being a profiler or even an author. It was at that moment Hotch suspected the end was close at hand.

Then one day after returning home, Hotch noticed a message on his phone. When he hit the play button, it was from the next-door neighbor of Rossi's who had been keeping tabs on the man as a favor to Hotch. The message stated Rossi had not been seen all morning which was unusual even in the older man's current condition. Even Rossi's live-in aide couldn't get a response to her persistent knocks or rings of the doorbell. She had gone to the neighbor for help suspecting something might be wrong.

The message continued that when they forced the door open, they found the legendary profiler had passed away in his sleep the night before quietly. There was no signs of violence or suicide. He just seemed to have died in his sleep peacefully.

After hearing the entire message, Hotch slid down to the floor beside the table with the phone on it. He stared into space as tears made their way down his cheeks. That was how his young son, Jack, found him thirty minutes later, on the floor crying.

"Why are you sad, daddy?" the child asked. He hated to see his father unhappy, and knew he had been of late. For him to cry, the news must have been bad. The last time the little boy saw his father cry was when mommy had become an angel. And his dad had told him Uncle Dave had been very ill lately. In his small mind, something must have happened to Uncle Dave. The only thing his child's mind could figure out was that Uncle Dave had become an angel like his mommy.

Hotch gestured for Jack to come close, and when the child did, Hotch hugged him tightly, burying his face in his son's hair. No words were spoken as Hotch sobbed clinging to his son like a lifeline.

"I sorry Uncle Dave became an angel like mommy, daddy," was all Jack uttered. Nothing further needed to be said.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm adding this after a review I got. Yes, this is if CM ended after 10 seasons which I hope not. But The Replicator never happened. So Strauss is still there. Foyet did happen since Aaron wants to spend time with Jack. And Emily will not be in this story as she was already gone. This is about the characters currently with the team. The only reason Strauss remains will hopefully become obvious with the next chapter. **

**Chapter 7-Aaron Hotchner**

It had been two months since Rhode Island, and 'family' members left, and new ones replaced them. But the upheaval within the unit left Aaron Hotchner a bit lost. But it was the unexpected death of longtime friend David Rossi, which shattered the Unit Chief inside nearly beyond repair. What finally pushed him over the edge, was the phone call that morning while he was reviewing case files in his office.

Everybody gave Hotch space after Rossi's death; even those who hadn't been with the team that long. Everybody knew of the long-term friendship the two men had shared. So the day after Rossi's military funeral as the man had been a Marine, the Unit Chief kept to himself and hid in his office. And it was in his office that Aaron Hotchner's world came to an unfortunate and sudden end.

Hotch had been back at work for about a month following the case in which he had been shot, but had restrictions placed on him by Section Chief Strauss. Hotch was able to travel with the team, but he was prohibited from being in the field. In other words, he was relegated to police stations, doing geographical profiles with Dr. Waring, and giving orders to his team. He hated staying behind, and wanted to be out in the field with the team. But with all the reports, there was little chance Strauss wouldn't find out. And then he would be banned from the office. So until he rid himself of the cane completely, he would tolerate it.

He couldn't wait to be rid of the cane. It was a constant reminder of being shot in the knee on Morgan's last case with them. Hotch had tried walking without it from his office to the bullpen and back. The pain soon became too much. Before he even reached the railing leading up the steps to the catwalk, he was sweating and grimacing from the pain in his knee. Hotch had to hang onto the railing as he slowly limped up the stairs, one step at a time. Unable to move any further, Hotch managed to attract the attention of another agent who came forward. That agent helped him the rest of the way. He hated asking for help just to reach his office, but the alternative would be to hit the floor if he continued alone. With one of his patented stares, he swore the agent and the rest of the bullpen to silence. It was at that moment he decided that as much as he hated the cane, he would use it rather than ask for help.

A week later, Hotch still kept to his office wanting to be alone, but at least he now had his door open instead of shut. He had, the week before he returned to the office after Rossi's death, to have x-rays taken of his injured knee. He had endured two months of physical therapy so far, and his doctor wanted to see how things were progressing. Hotch was hoping he soon would be rid of the cane and back to normal. So when the phone rang that morning, Hotch was eager for a bit of good news. He glared at the wooden cane leaning against the book case behind his desk. Then, with a deep breath, he picked up the receiver and leaned back in his chair.

"Hotchner."

"Agent Hotchner? Doctor Sterling. I have been studying your x-rays for several days, and speaking with your physical therapist before I called you. That's why it took me longer to get back to you. I apologize. But I had to be certain of a few things before I called you."

"That's all right," Hotch answered impatiently. "How soon can I get rid of this damned cane and back in the field again." He didn't like the long pause on the other end. "Doctor Sterling?"

"Agent Hotchner, let me be honest. When the bullet struck your knee, it shattered your patella. It also caused torn ligaments, and nerve and tendon damage. And while the GSW itself has healed, the damage has not. I was hoping the physical therapy would strengthen the knee thus allowing you freedom of motion and movement, and ability to do your job as you once did. But I'm afraid that isn't the case."

Hotch swallowed hard. He didn't like where this conversation was going. "What are you saying, doctor?"

"What I'm telling you, is that your knee will never recover fully. You've improved. But you will continue to experience pain in the knee. I recommend you keep using the cane as it will help you to get around easier. The joint will continue to deteriorate over the years as you get older, so eventually, a wheelchair may be required to keep you mobile. But that may not be necessary for many years at least. I'm sorry, Agent Hotchner."

Tears began building in his eyes. "What about the physical therapy? What if I continue having it for another month? Won't there be an improvement. Give me something to look forward to, doctor."

"I understand what you're asking, but there will be no further improvement. All the therapy will offer is to make the knee more flexible. But that's all. If you want my opinion, I suggest you continue the therapy for at least two more weeks. We can talk afterward if you want. I'm sorry it's not what you want to hear. I really am. But should you try to resume your normal job knowing this, you risk becoming a cripple for the rest of your life. And you'll undo all the progress you've made."

"I see," Hotch replied listlessly. "Thank you, doctor. I'll call you when I make a decision." He hung up the phone and stared at the ceiling of his office, lost in the lighting. He was too upset to be stunned. How could this have happened? Why? _I really need you right now, Dave. I really need to talk to you. Get your advice on what to do. I wish you were here right now. _He wiped a hand across his cheeks as he felt moisture. Rossi wasn't here anymore. Neither was JJ or Blake or Reid, or Morgan. Wait. He confided in Morgan after Gideon left and before Rossi returned to the BAU. Straightening in his chair, Hotch picked up the phone and pressed several buttons. He didn't have long to wait.

"Morgan."

At first Hotch was unable to utter a word. He chewed his lower lip to regain control of his emotions. It wouldn't do to cry on the phone.

"Hello? Is somebody there?"

"Derek, it's Hotch."

"Hotch! How are you? I was gonna give you a call. I've been so busy. I'm so sorry about Rossi. He was a good man. Garcia called me and told about him, Reid , JJ and Blake. I was stunned when Garcia told me about Pretty Boy. How is he?"

"Thanks, Morgan. I miss Dave more than you'll ever know. JJ and Blake are good. Reid is…well…according to his doctors, his condition is unchanged. Morgan, I need to talk with you. I need your advice about something."

For the first time, Morgan sensed desperation in Hotch's voice and it concerned him. "Sure, man. What's wrong? Are you all right? Is it Jack? Talk to me."

Morgan closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as his former boss talked. When he was sure Hotch was finished, he let out a deep breath. "Hotch, I am so, so sorry. Are you sure there's nothing more the doctors can do?"

"Nothing. Bottom line is if I try to do my normal job, I can cripple myself, get myself killed, or endanger my team because of my limited mobility. Morgan, for once in my life, I have no idea what to do. If Dave was still here…"

"I know. It's okay. The decision has to be yours, Hotch. But I'll tell you two things. One, you were never made to sit behind a desk and push paper. You were made to get the bad guys. And two, you would never knowingly go into the field and endanger your teammates if you aren't one hundred per cent. The question you need to ask yourself is whether you can accept being less than one hundred per cent. Once you figure that out, you'll have your answer."

A small smile appeared on Hotch's face. "Thanks, Morgan. I mean it."

Morgan chuckled. "You're welcome. Let me know what you decide."

"I will. Bye." Hotch hung up the phone. He had to think what to do next. He couldn't make a rush decision since this was his life.

A week later, Hotch had reached a decision. His first stop was to Section Chief Strauss's office to hand in his retirement papers. Even though she offered her well wishes, he believed the woman would probably hold a celebratory party once he was gone. That caused him to chuckle. After leaving Strauss's office, Hotch slowly made his way back to his own office. Instead of sitting back down, he leaned against his desk, and picked up his phone. He pressed a button and waited.

"Speak and be heard, mere mortal, and be prepared to be amazed," a cheery voice announced. Hotch chuckled. He was going to miss her the most.

"Garcia, it's Hotch."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. I didn't realize…"

"Garcia, calm down," Hotch interrupted her rant. "I'm having a team meeting in the conference room now and I want you to attend. It's important."

"Yes, sir. I'll be there un momento."

Smiling, Hotch hung up the phone, then made his way out onto the catwalk between his and Rossi's old office. He leaned against the railing for support, and announced loudly he was having a team meeting, and had an announcement to make. As each member got to their feet, Hotch limped to the conference room and took a seat at the head of the table, grateful to get off his leg. He watched the other members of his team wander in and take seats. He looked around just as the closed door burst open and in flew a nervous and frazzled Penelope Garcia.

"I'm sorry I'm late, sir," she apologized taking an empty seat between Dr. Waring and Agent Steinman. "I got here as fast as I could, but the elevators…" Hotch held up a hand stopping her.

"It's okay, Penelope. You're right on time." Hotch's eyes scanned the group as he tried to commit their faces to memory. He swallowed the lump in his throat and forced a smile to his face. "You'll forgive me if I don't stand up to talk," he joked. "My knee doesn't seem to want to cooperate." He took a deep breath to settle himself. "Let me begin by saying it's been a pleasure and an honor to have worked with all of you. I realize you new agents haven't been with the team that long, but let me say I have been impressed with what I've seen in each of you." He paused to collect himself. The next part would be difficult for everybody.

"Sir, are you saying goodbye?" asked Penelope with a quivering lower lip, her eyes focused on Hotch.

Hotch bowed his head for several seconds before looking at one hand resting on the handle of his cane. He finally looked up to see his team waiting.

"Yes, I am, Penelope. At the end of the week. I've been told my knee will never get any better. And the improvement I have so far is it. Don't try to talk me out of it because I already handed in my paperwork to Strauss. I can't give my all in the field this way. Nor do I want to endanger the team by trying." He swallowed. "And I want to be able to do things with my son. That's all. Are there any questions?"

A single tear rolled down Garcia's face. "Yes, sir…I mean, no, sir. Sir, you don't need to explain anything. You need to do what's right for you and mini-Hotch. But let me say that it has been a privilege to work under you. And I will miss you more than words can say."

The others sat and watched the exchange between their tech analyst and soon-to-be ex-Unit Chief. They were thrown by the personal interaction between them as they didn't understand it. Instead, they all wished Hotch well in whatever he chose to do. Hotch smiled, shook hands, and accepted pats on the back from the others as they left. Soon it was just Garcia and Hotch remaining. Hotch felt himself becoming misty-eyed. "I'm going to miss you the most, Penelope. You're a breath of fresh air around here. Don't ever change that."

"I'll try, sir. And I promise to give the new Unit Chief the same respect and loyalty I gave you. The only difference is, sir, that person won't be you. But I'll try anyway." Then she did something very un-Garcia like for her. She got to her feet, bent over, and pressed her lips to Hotch's cheek as she wrapped her arms around him so tightly Hotch thought his ribs would break. He hugged her in return. "Stay well, mon Capitan. And let me know how you and Jack are." She pulled back and stared at her soon-to-be former boss as if to commit every detail of his face to memory. "And if you need anything. Anything at all. Don't hesitate to call the all knowing oracle."

"I won't," he chuckled. He stood up shakily. "Take care, Penelope," he said with a wink, and started to leave the room.

"You, too, sir." She watched him leave the room and her life. Only then did Penelope Garcia allow herself to openly shed her tears.

Hotch spent the rest of his days saying goodbye. And accepting well wishes. All day long he received calls and best wishes from JJ and Morgan, and a text from Blake. He felt Rossi smiling down on him with approval and understanding. He also promised himself he would keep an eye on Spencer Reid. He owed it to the young man. The next few days were spent packing what few personal items were his, and Anderson helped him bring them home.

On the last day, Hotch took a final look around the office he had occupied for over ten years. Then he limped out onto the catwalk and leaned against the railing. He took a long look around the bullpen. He would miss the place which had become such a big part of his life. Then with a heavy heart and a deep breath, he slowly made his way down the steps and toward the bank of elevators. He pressed the down button and the doors hissed open. Stepping inside, the doors hissed shut as did the doors on his career. When they opened again, so did the beginning of a new career.

Once the doors opened on the main floor, he would no longer be Supervisory Special Agent Aaron 'Hotch' Hotchner. He would be forever known as Aaron 'Hotch' Hotchner, private citizen and single father.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8-Penelope Garcia**

Erin Strauss wasted no time in replacing Aaron Hotchner as Unit Chief. The other agents on the team were too new for one to be Unit Chief. She needed somebody with experience for the position. So she spent two days reviewing potential applicants before she selected who she wanted. Strauss called him in on Friday for an interview as a formality, but her mind was already made up he was the one. His name was Daniel Seibert, a Supervisory Special Agent with the Brooklyn, New York office who was looking for a job closer to his family in Manassas, Virginia.

On that Monday morning, Strauss summoned the team members, including Garcia, to a meeting in the conference room.

Penelope suspected Strauss was going to introduce a new Unit Chief as she had heard the rumors. She let out a deep breath. Today was going to be difficult enough without Hotch, but another day sans Blake, JJ, Reid, Rossi, and Morgan. And she didn't relate to these newbies well enough to confide in any of them. Hotch had been her last link to the old team, and as long as he was there, she had a semblance of normalcy. But as soon as Hotch left, the normalcy left with him. Now she was totally alone and on her own.

When she checked her watch, she noticed she had ten minutes to get to the meeting at nine a.m. After she got to her feet, she smoothed her bright yellow dress with its large red and pink roses which showed a little cleavage as she stared into her table mirror. She also wore a black waist-length jacket, and red dangle earrings, with a matching dangling necklace. Her blond hair with its pink highlights was held in place on one side with a large glittery blue butterfly clasp. She also wore glasses with bright red frames.

Another reason she was worried was her wearing apparel. It never bothered Hotch, but might the new Unit Chief. Hotch always considered what she wore as part of her 'breath of fresh air.' But how would this new man view her? Would he want her to change how she dressed? Would he insist she clean out her office of all her sparkly figurines, animals and trolls so it looked more like an office? Would he even go as far as to fire her, or remove her from her position if she didn't comply? She suddenly gasped when she realized she now only had five minutes to make the meeting. She raced from her lair to the elevators and pressed the down button.

"C'mon. C'mon. C'mon," she repeated wringing her hands nervously staring at the lighted numbers above the elevators. To be late now would not impress her new boss. By the time the doors hissed open, Garcia was a complete wreck.

* * *

Erin Strauss's eyes scanned the agents seated around the conference table and right away noticed someone missing. She looked at the dark-haired man standing beside her and shook her head. At that exact moment, the closed door of the conference room burst open, and a frazzled Penelope Garcia entered.

"I'm sorry I'm late, ma'am," she began. "But I had to wait for the elevator which took forever. And when it did come, it took forever to reach this floor and I…" she shut her mouth when Strauss held up her hand.

"Never mind, Miss Garcia. Please have a seat before you delay the start of the meeting anymore than you already have."

"Yes, ma'am," the tech analyst replied sitting down beside Agent Steinman. She found herself staring at the man next to Strauss. She figured him to be about six feet two inches tall with dark-brown hair and blue-gray eyes. He was about Hotch's size, so Garcia estimated him to be about one hundred eighty-five pounds. He was wearing a charcoal-grey suit, white dress shirt, and red silk tie. She also noticed his ring finger was bare, but that meant nothing. A lot of married men didn't wear wedding bands. It was the sound of Strauss clearing her throat loudly which brought her focus back on her Section Chief.

"As you all are aware, Agent Hotchner has left the BAU and the bureau. And let me say that his devotion and years of service are greatly appreciated. And I know you all join me in wishing him nothing but the best in his future endeavors." She paused for a moment, then began again. "As to why you were summoned here. Of those of you who recently joined the team, none of you have been here long enough to qualify for the position of Unit Chief. So, I needed to find somebody to fill the position quickly. And there were several very qualified candidates from which to choose. But I found someone who I believe will be a fine choice to fill the position."

She glanced directly at Garcia. "I would like to introduce you to your new Unit Chief, Supervisory Special Agent Daniel Siebert, who comes to us from the Brooklyn, New York office." She glanced at Siebert. "Agent Siebert, I'd like to introduce you to your team." She gestured to each one as she introduced them. "This is SA Morris Gateway. SSA Adam Granger. SA Mandy Carter. Doctor Damian Waring. Media liaison Beverly Steinman." She stared at Garcia. "And your technical analyst, Penelope Garcia." Garcia swallowed the lump in her throat as the smile on Siebert's face changed slightly. _This is gonna be trouble_.

* * *

A week after Siebert took over, the team handled their first case. Three days later, they found and arrested their Unsub. For Garcia, it should have been a time to rejoice. She had helped her new team solve their case with no added loss of life. But instead of rejoicing, the tech analyst was unhappy. Unhappy because she missed the way things used to be. The camaraderie she shared with JJ, Morgan, Reid, Blake, Rossi and Hotch. She missed the good times, the teasing, the flirting, and jokes shared with the others. But mostly, she missed them both as a group, and as individuals. Things were just no longer the same.

She tried getting close with her new team members, but none of them were like those they replaced. They never socialized together after work, never went out to dinner together, never visited each other's homes. In other words, they weren't a family. They were just a group of individuals who worked together as a team, and nothing more. Even Siebert was different from Hotch. Garcia had considered going to him several times with her concerns. But after what happened during her first visit to his office, she never bothered again.

She had gone to his office and explained that she was having trouble working with the new agents who had replaced the others. That they didn't feel like family to her. She had no idea what to expect from Siebert, but it was not the answer she got. He told her these agents were not family. They were individuals who worked together, and nothing more. Then she made the mistake of mentioning that Hotch always considered those under him his family, and they considered him part of their family. Siebert quickly dismissed what Hotchner believed. And without coming right out and saying it, indicated that this misguided belief by Hotchner probably led to him being shot. The man then dismissed her, and Garcia quietly returned to her lair and closed her door.

But the final straw came three days later, when summoned to Siebert's office, she was informed by the Unit Chief, that she needed to change herself. In other words, she was expected to be more appropriately attired if she expected to continue working there. Garcia bit her lower lip before leaving his office. She felt the need to talk to someone.

So over the next several hours, she spoke by phone with JJ, Morgan, and Hotch. Morgan told her nobody had the right to threaten another person's job if that person didn't change themselves. Hotch pointed out she had always been a breath of fresh air to them especially on their darkest days just as she was. He also insisted she be true to herself, and decide what was best for her, even if it meant leaving the BAU. And JJ added that if Siebert and the others couldn't accept her as she was, then they didn't deserve her. All three agreed to support whatever decision she made. Garcia went home that day to think.

Come morning, Garcia marched straight to Siebert's office wearing a black, white, and blue striped dress with a blue jacket, and handed in her resignation papers. She smiled when she saw her decision caught her boss off-guard.

"I decided I cannot and will not, change who I am just to satisfy you. I have always dressed this way, and Agent Hotchner had no problem with it as my boss, nor did he try and change me. You want me to become what a technical analyst should be according to you. So sir, if you cannot accept me as I am, warts and all, that is your problem. And as you can see, today is my last day. So if you will excuse me, I will go clean out my office." Siebert, still somewhat surprised by the paperwork in his hand, merely nodded his head. With a smirk, Garcia turned and calmly left his office.

Garcia maintained her smile all the way back to her lair, a sense of inner peace permeating her body. She had no regrets about her decision to leave. These people were not her family. Hell, they weren't a family at all. Also, the closeness she experienced with JJ, Blake, Hotch, Rossi, Reid and Morgan didn't exist here and never would. She quickly began to pack up her personal belongings. She was grateful all her personal items were small and sparkly or stuffed so she needed no more than two boxes. As she was finishing up the second box, there was a knock on her door.

"Enter the lair of the former all knowing oracle," she said as she looked toward the door. The door opened, and in walked the last three people she expected to see. Garcia's jaw dropped in surprise, then she ran to each and hugged them tightly, lingering when she came to Hotch. She pressed her lips against his cheek, and stared into his eyes which still contained a hint of sadness in them. "Sir, again, I'm so sorry about Rossi. I realize I already told you that, but I never got the chance to tell you in person. I am so sorry."

"You don't need to call me sir, anymore, Penelope. I'm just Aaron now."

"Sorry. But that's gonna take time. But I promise I'll try. As long as you promise should you ever need to talk, you give a yell."

Hotch smiled showing his dimples, and kissed the top of her head. "Thank you again, Penelope. And I'll keep your offer in mind. But feel free to come by anytime. Jack would love to see his Aunt Penelope."

"I don't understand. Why are all of you here?" the now former tech analyst asked when she had gotten control of her senses.

JJ smirked. "Will is watching the twins. He understood I wanted to be here and took a day off from work."

"And being head of a field office," Morgan offered his patented megawatt smile. "I can take a day off if I want. And I needed to help my baby girl."

Garcia smiled. She looked at Hotch. "And you, sir? You shouldn't have made the trip. Not with your injured knee." She rolled her chair toward him. "You need to sit down and rest your leg." She heaved a sigh of relief when Hotch sat down in her chair.

"I wanted to be here. JJ called me early this morning and told me of your decision, and that you were handing in your paperwork today. I got home from Jessica's too late last night, and didn't check my messages."

"That's okay, sir. You're here now." She intended to say something else when Hotch held up a hand.

"Also, I want to say, and Morgan and JJ will agree with me. We're proud of you for standing up for yourself with Siebert. I don't personally know the man, but I have heard of him. And believe me when I say, if Morgan considered me a drill sergeant, I resembled a private compared to Siebert."

Morgan looked at the two boxes. "You got everything packed, baby girl?"

"I do indeed my chocolate god of thunder. So if you can manage to flex your hunky muscles and grab a box, we can take our leave."

Morgan chuckled. "What sweetness wants, sweetness gets." Morgan picked up the box on her desk. JJ grabbed the other box without being asked. Hotch slowly got to his feet. Garcia looped both of her arms through Hotch's available arm. Everybody started to leave the place Garcia had called home for years. As they stepped into the hallway, she paused and looked back one last time at her lair.

"Regrets?" Hotch asked quietly when he saw her shed a tear.

"No, sir. It's just…well, it's hard to accept that it's ended this way. But no, I have no regrets." She stepped into the hall and closed the door behind her. As they neared the elevators, Agent Siebert confronted them, eyes on Garcia. He ignored the others.

"Miss Garcia, I'm afraid I must insist you change your last day of work until later in the week, " he hissed. "In other words, I cannot approve your resignation at this time." He paused when Hotch stepped in front of Penelope.

"Agent Siebert, I suggest you be careful how you speak to Miss Garcia. And you will accept her resignation as effective at once." He gave the man his famous Hotchner stare. JJ and Morgan both looked about to say something, but deferred to Hotch.

"Who the hell are you?" the man demanded.

"Aaron Hotchner. I used to be Miss Garcia's supervisor."

Siebert smirked. "I've heard of you. You're the one who believes his agents were family crap. No wonder you got shot. Your so called family couldn't even help save your wife," he sneered. "And seeing as you don't work here anymore, you can't tell me how to handle the people who work under me."

Hotch's face and eyes darkened as his free hand balled into a fist. He took a step forward getting into the man's face. "Watch your mouth, agent. You don't know me. And you have no right to tell me what to or not to believe. Miss Garcia was instrumental to the success of my team, and I won't have you insinuating that just because she doesn't meet the dress code, she isn't a professional. Nobody is more professional than Penelope."

When she saw Siebert's expression darken, Garcia stepped in front of Hotch with her face very close to Siebert's.

"Agent Siebert, as this will be the last chance I get to speak my piece, I suggest you listen and listen closely. You do not speak to former Agent Hotchner or any member of my family this way. And I don't appreciate your comment about his late wife. We did everything we could to save Haley. And for you to throw that in his face as you did, is not only out-of-line, but damn rude. And you owe him an apology."

Siebert's eyes darkened. "Miss Garcia, consider yourself fired."

Garcia smirked. "Sir, and I use the term loosely, you can't fire me. I already quit. So if you don't want to apologize, tootles. That means goodbye." She gently took Hotch's arm again and the small group continued to the elevators leaving Siebert speechless. The group entered the elevator and waited until the doors hissed shut and the downward descent began.

"You were great, baby girl," said Morgan. "So were you Hotch."

"I would have smacked Siebert across the face if my hands had been free," JJ echoed with admiration. "What an ass."

"Thank you, Garcia," Hotch said beginning to calm down a bit. "But you didn't have to speak to him like that, no matter how much he deserved it. The man is a bastard. He has no idea what a prize he is losing in you."

Garcia smirked and clung to Hotch's arm more. "That's okay, sir...Aaron. I've been wanting to do that since he got on my nerves. He shouldn't have spoken to you that way. I had to say something. And I refuse to apologize for it." She smiled as the elevator continued its downward journey. Garcia was sorry to leave the BAU, but with her family gone, she saw no reason to stay. But as long as her family was available to her on the outside, she wasn't afraid of what her future held.

And with her leaving, so was the last of Aaron Hotchner's team.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry this is a tad on the late side as will be my other stories. I got a new computer which doesn't use Microsoft Works which is what I have been using, but Microsoft Word instead, and I am learning how to use it. So please bear with me as I learn. Thanks.**

**Chapter 9-Epilogue**

The bad news came in May of that same year; two months after Penelope Garcia left the team. Section Chief Erin Strauss decided not to deliver the news by telephone, but in person. She contacted Unit Chief, Daniel Siebert, and requested he and his entire team, come to the conference room, and that she would be joining them. After hanging up, Strauss thought about what had to be done. She let out a deep breath. What was about to happen, never would happen, if Aaron Hotchner and his team were still here. Slowly, she got to her feet and left her office, heading to the elevators.

When she reached the BAU, she walked into the conference room. Seated around the table waiting patiently were the members of the new team A, and their new tech analyst, Kayla Morris who was dressed according to the dress code.

"Good, you're all here," Strauss said looking around, her face unreadable. Letting out a deep breath, she stood at the head of the table between the seated Siebert and Granger. "You're all probably wondering why I called this meeting. I have an announcement to make." She paused to arrange her words. "I know all of you heard rumors of changes coming due to financial cutbacks in the bureau. I'm here to tell you the rumors are true. There are cutbacks being made, and the BAU is not excluded from these cutbacks."

"How bad?" asked Siebert looking up at his boss. Strauss glanced at him.

"Bad," she replied. "We are losing one entire team, and I'm afraid team A has been chosen to be disbanded due to the cutbacks." She looked around at the now shocked faces all looking at her.

"What's going to happen to all of us, ma'am?" asked Gateway.

"I want each of you to give me, in writing, your choices of which departments you'd like to be reassigned. And should there be any openings, you will have first choice. Miss Morris, you will stay the technical analyst, as other BAU teams will need your ability."

"Yes, ma'am," Kayla replied with a slight smile. "Thank you, ma'am."

"You're welcome, Miss Morris." Strauss glanced around at the others. "Agent Siebert, your options are somewhat limited as not many Supervisory positions are available."

"I understand, ma'am," Siebert replied. "Ma'am, may I ask a question?"

"Of course."

"Ma'am, is this team being disbanded because we haven't been as successful as Agent Hotchner's team was when they were here?" He didn't want to ask this question, but he suspected it was a factor behind the decision.

Strauss kept her emotions in check. "I won't lie to you, Agent Siebert. But your reduction in the success rate of team A did play a part in the decision. Agent Hotchner's team had a ninety-eight percent success rate with their cases. Your team's success rate barely cleared ninety percent. Now I realize your team hasn't been together but a few months, and so does the Director. But he's looking at other things as well."

"Such as, ma'am?" asked Waring.

"To be perfectly honest, Doctor Waring, and this is no slight on this team. But the new team A lacks a cohesiveness."

Siebert arched both eyebrows. "Cohesiveness? You mean we're not functioning like the previous A team, don't you? I understand Agent Hotchner felt his team was his family, but I didn't agree with his assessment. A team is nothing more than a group of people working together on their job. Anything other than that and, in my opinion, would be counter-productive."

"Call it what you like," Strauss told him. "But it worked with Agent Hotchner's team. And whether they considered themselves a family or not, one can't deny their success. Agent Hotchner motivated his team and got them to accomplish things nobody thought possible. But you personally, and I do not mean this in a negative way whatsoever, have not been able to motivate this team in the same way. I had hoped you would, and that this team would at least match the success rate of Agent Hotchner's team. But it hasn't happened. And the Director feels since a team has to be dissolved, it should be yours. I am so, so sorry."

Siebert let out a deep breath, but remained silent as did the others.

And so it began. In August of that same year, the A team was broken up and its members reassigned to other areas, including Agent Siebert. And with the remaining BAU teams, none of them, try as they might, accomplished what Aaron Hotchner and his team accomplished. It was only then that Strauss realized what she had lost when Hotchner's team broke up months ago. They had lost the most elite group of agents and profilers in the bureau. And the beginning of the end started with the case in Rhode Island.

When Hotchner and his team broke up, it truly was the day it all ended.

**The End**


End file.
